Renewing the Gospel's call to heal the sick by supporting Anglicans working across the world in health care, whether in clinical settings or in the community
May 2026 |
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN DRC: ARCHBISHOP URGES NEED FOR ‘PRAYERS WITH PRACTICAL ACTION’ |
The Most Revd Georges Titre Ande, Archbishop of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bishop of Aru, has called for ‘prayers and practical action’ in response to the Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda, which has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health
Organization. Archbishop Ande spoke of the deep suffering already experienced by communities in eastern DRC, where conflict, displacement and previous outbreaks have shaped daily life. He also highlighted the hope offered by swift practical measures and international coordination. During this challenging time, churches will be instrumental in sharing accurate health information, challenging
misinformation and encouraging communities to follow public health guidance. Read more on Anglican News |
FAITH PARTNERS HEALTH MEETING - ROME |
Faith-based organisations and partners from across the world, including the Anglican Health and Community Network (AHCN), gathered in Rome on 22–23 April, united around a shared commitment to improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities.
The two-day meeting, called 'Committed to WASH in Healthcare Facilities: A Gathering of Faith-based Organizations and Allies to Accelerate Progress,' took place at the Jesuit Curia, a short walk from St Peter's Square, and was held under the patronage of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Read more on Anglican News
Get updates and information about the event
The Archbishop of Canterbury shares a messageThe Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, the Archbishop of Canterbury, shared a message to those at the event, calling for increased support for vital WASH in healthcare.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said: 'As a former nurse, I know that clean water and good sanitation are
essential to safe and effective healthcare. I am therefore encouraged by the work already underway to strengthen Anglican health facilities in several countries, with more to come. I encourage all across our Communion to support this vital work.'
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Photos from the WASH event |
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The Rt Revd Michael Beasley is one of AHCN’s Co-Convenors. He attended the Rome meeting 'Committed to WASH in Healthcare Facilities: A Gathering of Faith-based Organizations and Allies to Accelerate Progress'. Photographed here with Revd Canon Dr Duncan Dormor from USPG,
Sr Toyin Abegunde from Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul and Sr Theresa Sullivan from Daughters of Charity International Project Services. |
- Faith-based organisations deliver 30-50% of healthcare services in low-resource countries, many of which would otherwise have none.
- Across 60 low-resource countries, 37% of healthcare facilities lack basic water services and 81% lack basic sanitation
services.
- The critical absence of WASH means women have to haul water to give birth; maternal and infant morbidity and mortality increase as do preventable illnesses and diseases, antibiotic resistance and poverty.
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How is the Health Network helping? |
As a network, alongside other agencies, we have been facilitating engagement of this meeting organisers with a number of Anglican Provinces to accelerate work to improve water and sanitation in Anglican run health care facilities. This work is now ongoing in Zambia, the Philippines and Bangladesh and is being developed for Ghana, Malawi and Tanzania. Substantive
survey work to identify needs has been happening. The conference aimed to work out how to engage with a much wider pool of donors to accelerate the implementation of improvements even more. |
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The AHCN alongside other mission agencies and organisations have been working with the Al-Ahli hospital as it serves the population of Gaza as one of the only fully functioning hospitals in Gaza.
Early in the year, some of the AHCN Core Group spent time listening to Sawsan
Aranki-Batato, the Programs Development Officer at the Diocese of Jerusalem which runs the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.
So many things struck us as we heard about the deep injustices in Gaza: not just the scale of destruction, but how many critical realities of this war rarely make it into headlines. We heard about a much more complex
crisis unfolding every day inside Gaza’s health system - one that is largely invisible.
Read the article on Premier |
WELCOMING DR MALACHI ST JEAN |
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AHCN is an official network, supported by the Anglican Communion Office (ACO). In recent weeks, the ACO has welcomed Dr Malachi St Jean from Cange, Haiti as an intern to the advocacy team. He has valuable experience in community healthcare, health promoting churches and global health advocacy and will work with the AHCN and other ACO projects.
Malachi is part of the YASC (Young Adults Service Corps) a ministry in the Episcopal Church who sends young Episcopalians around the Anglican Communion worldwide to deepen their faith, share their gifts and live in community. |
HEALTH PROMOTING CHURCHES:
RESOURCES AND SHARING GOOD PRACTICEMothers' Union address health needs in Angola |
One of the current priorities of AHCN is to be a platform to gather and highlight Anglican voices of health and to advocate for more Health Promoting Churches.
Watch this film to find out how women from the Mother’s Union in Ondjiva, southern Angola are serving the most pressing health needs of the local communities where they are. Agents of Change - Could you be a pilot church?Would your church like to pilot a health course to discover how you can best serve your local communities and their pressing health needs?
The AHCN
will be collaborating with the Anglican Alliance to write a new health module for their Agents of Change course.
This is a foundational distance-learning programme designed to equip local church members with the skills to lead community development projects.
It teaches participants to look at what a community already has (skills, land, local leaders) rather than just what it
lacks.
If you would like to find out more about being a pilot church to test this course, email us: [email protected] Watch this film, to hear from Stallon Ihove from Papua New Guinea on why the course has impacted his life:
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NETWORK IMPACT:
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR WORK IN THE LAST 2 YEARSYou are part of this story. We would love to hear how your church, diocese or province is responding to health needs in your context. Whether you are running a clinic, supporting mental health, advocating for policy change or simply accompanying the sick faithfully, your story
matters. Get in touch at
[email protected] Visit the network web page for the AHCN You are receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in the Anglican Communion Health Network and work of the Anglican Communion Office. If you
wish to unsubscribe, click below. |
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